Apparatus and method for operating a subsea compression system
AssigneeVetco Gray Scandinavia AS
InventorsOle Petter Tomter, Jorgen Wessel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus and method for operating a subsea compression system. The subsea compression system comprising a separator, a compressor and a pump, wherein the compressor is operable for compression and discharge of gas that is separated from a well stream fed into the separator, and the pump is operable for pumping liquid that is separated from the well stream. The compressed gas is recycled from the compressor discharge side to the compressor intake side via a turbo-expander unit which is drivingly connected to the pump, the pump operable in response to circulation of compressed gas from the compressor discharge side to the compressor intake side.
Claims18
A method of operating a subsea compression system comprising a compressor, a pump and a separator, the compressor operable for compressing gas and the pump operable for pressurizing liquid that is separated, in the separator, from a bi-phase well stream received in the compression system, the method comprising:
- arranging the compressor in a gas feed line from the separator;
- providing a gas return line connecting a discharge side of the compressor with an intake side of the compressor;
- arranging a turbo-expander unit in flow connection with the gas return line;
- arranging the pump in a liquid feed line from the separator;
- connecting the turbo-expander unit drivingly to the pump;
- and
- operating the pump using the turbo-expander unit being driven b compressed gas circulated from the compressor discharge side to the compressor intake side.
A subsea compression system comprising:
- a compressor;
- a pump;
- a separator, wherein the compressor is operable for compressing gas and the pump is operable for pressurizing liquid that is separated, in the separator, from a bi-phase well stream received in the compression system, and wherein gas is fed from the separator to the compressor via a gas feed line and discharged from the compressor in a compressed state, and liquid is drawn from the separator to the pump via a liquid feed line and discharged from the pump at a pressurized state;
- a gas return line connecting a discharge side of the compressor with an intake side of the compressor;
- and
- a turbo-expander unit is arranged in flow connection with the gas return line, wherein the turbo-expander unit is drivingly connected with the pump, wherein the pump is operated using the turbo-expander unit being driven by compressed gas circulated from the compressor discharge side to the compressor intake side.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.